MIAMI — On Sunday, June 3,  from noon until 4:00 p.m., 18 students in eight teams from Turner Technical High School, Miami Edison Senior High School and Booker T. Washington Senior High School showcased and pitched their newly created entrepreneurial business ideas to a crowd of onlookers at Midtown Miami’s Esplanade.


The students had been participating in a six-week program entitled POP UP Exposure: Links to Leadership, Excellence and Entrepreneurship Program (LEEP), dedicated to entrepreneurial business pursuits. 

The goal of the program is to provide students with an opportunity to create trendsetting entrepreneurial ideas and gain valuable insight through a mentoring process in an effort to take the ideas to the public via pop up exposure opportunities. 

Throughout the program, the students received firsthand knowledge and tools provided by community business and entrepreneurial leaders, including a vigorous panel evaluation process where their ideas were pitched, evaluated, and assessed — similar to ABC television’s program, Shark Tank. 

“I was blown away by the ideas and concepts these students presented.  Their ideas were innovative, cutting edge and could definitely become marketable, realized businesses,” stated attorney Marlon A. Hill, founding partner, DelanyHill law firm and volunteer shark tank panelist. 

The students received pivotal advice on legal, marketing, finance and technology aspects as well as input on their innovative ideas.  Each team was given three weeks to shape up, improve and make transitions to their ideas in preparations for their live market showcase which occurred on Sunday, June 3, 2012.  The POP UP Exposure LEEP teams competed in a “live pitch” incorporating their presentation skills, visual boards and a thirty second pitch film to engage support for their idea with the hopes of cultivating support into votes.

At the end of the day, the team from Miami Edison Senior High School walked away with the most votes collected and iPads for all of their team members. Their innovative idea of a phone application called “Hologram Me” won with the most votes.  Dallas Smith, Nelysa Ventura, and Evanson Telisme students from the winning team, plan to shop their idea to Apple.


For more information regarding POP UP Exposure: LEEP, contact Marcia Anderson, 305-298-9205 or visit POP-UP Exposure at facebook.com/popupexposure